Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1887-01-18

x
H., TUESDAY j..
GOvERNOR BEaGs.
His Inaagursl Address He Stars His
Administration on Reform Bssis.
The following IL . synopsis Of Cover
nor Biggs inaugural address delivered
to-day before the 6snste snd H0nss oil
Representatives: After general intro.
duction he says In regard 10 appoint.
ments 20 oface, that rotation In cfaoe,
unless In very exceptional cases. rel
gard ~ cardinal principle sppl ltcsese|
e the subject Of appointments b. the
dovernor. Thst this principle should
DO respected by me was made menifest|
me. That convention passed . cesolu.
tton condemninR re appointments in|
respect 10 certain ofdoes.
and that the reappointment Of sncum.
bsnts at the expiration Of their osdRinal
termss generally 10 not only i'm proper,
but unfair TO others having equal quail.
dcstions and equally wopthy of rscosni.
tion BY the appointing power. ] shall
deem IL my duty during my term Of
oflice 10 make NO reappointmsnts 70 whore
the nature of the ONCE and the public
interests do not justify tho same.
Further upon this subject he says: /
aave sufficient acquaintance with my
fellow citizens OF this State to know
that many such persons can DO found
10 each county OF the State 70 meet
these TeQuirlnents without oenfinine
the appointments which I shall make
to any very limited number Of my fel.
low citiSens, and from this belief and
knowledge I shall conform % action
In this respect TO the principle Ienunci.
ated BY the con vention whic.' noni.
mated me.
THE PARDoNIEG POWER.
speaking Of the pardoninR power the
Governor says:
There will have to be strong mitigat
ing or tenuatinR circumstances which
the ordinary courts of justice cannot
properly consider and weigh In their
vcrdicts and Judgments, and which
ought to be considered and weighed ~
meriting Executive clemency TO cause
me TO exercise the power thus cop.
ferred. He who kno wingly and will.
fully violates the law OF the State, and
who after fair and impartial trial by
jury OF his oountrymen, In which
there has been neither mistake Of law
or fact committed, can have but little
claim to the interpolation Of the exer
else OF this power By the Chief Execu-
tive Of the State.
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM.
On the subject of . convention and
constitutional amendments the Cover.
nor says he stands now where he stood
when . member 6f the Cons s.itutional |
Convention Of 1882.
wish to say, however, II the Gen.
eral Assembly shall in their wisdom
see proper TO provide foi the calling OF
. convention, and for the submission to
the people OF any consultation which
may be framed by such convention,
- an earnest advocate Of constitutional
reform by means of Q con ventiou and
the adoption Of . new constitution In
lieu OF the existing one, would suggest
that all the proceedings of the General
Assembly in relation thereto should be
had in strict accordance with Article
TX Of the present Constitution OF the
State, and that all the requirements oI
served.
The constitution Is the Fundamental
law OF the State. 1t cannot be chan Red
In any respect by the Legislature, whiot
| 10 Its creature and wholly subOrdinat,
to 1t, and any attempt to override Il
| would not only be dan ngerous but Der
nicious precedent. II, therefore, tn,
Legislature Of Delaware sees proper u
pass an act submitting the question OF ~
alteration Of the constitution Of the Stat,
TO tbs voters, hope that In all legislatioI
10 respect thereto 1t will have a Just re
gard for the present constitution, ant
that all measures looking thereto will
conform to its requirements. II, how
ever, the General Assembly at Its pres
sud proper to call State Con ventioI
tion, 1t 10 In their power, and l thinl
they should exercise 1t, to take tn,
initiatory steps for its amendment In thl
mode prescri bed In the ninth articl
thereof.
DISTRICT REPRESENTATION.
Whatever mode of amendment to tn
CONSTITUTION of the State may b.
adopted, In my judgment the time hat
arrived when change should be made
in the manner Of electing the SENATOR
aud Representatives In the Genera
Assembly. Under our constitution
they are at present as IL well known
elected by the several counties through
out the State respectively. Ths
question presents itself to the mind o
every thinking man, is such provis
ion under existing circumstances right
Does it meet the wishes and expectA
tions, the desires and the sense Of jns
tice OF the people OF the State? Th,
| voting popu alton of the several coun
ties OF the State are greatly dispropor
donate. Oaght not the wrong Of IN
equal represent alton of the people In
the General Assembly to be remedied
as far rs practicable? Equal represen
talon could be more properly secured
under election by districts than under
the exieting system.
Is not the former system Of election
lot Representatives in the General As
sembly more in accordance with the
principles of Democratic representative
Iaovernment than that which exists
under the present State Constitution?
In my opinion those who have an i'm
~ mediate interest In the selection oi
mem bers OF the General Assembly
should have that right secured to them
by Q. institutional provision. In case
the present General ASS mbly shall not
make provision for calling Constitu'
tioral Convention, suggest the pro
priety of proposing an amendment to
the constitution embodying this princi
pie In accordance with Article TX oi
the constitution.
District representation In my jndg
ment IL the true principle of Demo
cratic representative government, and